Galley lock



0d. 24, 1939. D. MULCAY ET AL GALLEY LOCK Filed March 5, 1937 high speed operation, and is Patented oct. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE GALLEY LOCK Donald Mulcay and Winfield G. Colvin,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for holding type in position in a galley during the making of proofs and the storage of the set type, and refers particularly to a galley lock operative to abut the end of a block of type in a galley and re- 'tain the type against displacement and loss.

While devices have been known in the art directed toward the accomplishment of the abovementioned results, such devices have never been commonly accepted in the printing industry because they were unsatisfactory for one or more reasons, and consequently, the problem of retaining set type in a galley remains an acute one, and considerable loss is sustained, particularly inthe larger printing establishments because of a lack of adequate means for performing this function. For example, in the making of galley proofs it is frequently necessary in large establishments to make as many as seven or eight copies of a single proof and sometimes necessary to make proofs on three or four occasions following corrections and changes in the type prior to the time the type is locked up for use. In the past blocks of metal such as lead have been rested in the end of the galley for the purpose of retaining the type adjacent the end of the block in position while the rollers pass over the type. However, these blocks are seldom sufiicient to retain the type in place during the making of all of the proofs, and between the making of each copy it is necessary for the operator to readjust the lead weights. This interferes with particularly objectionable with modern motor-driven proofing machines, the speed of which is materially retarded by the necessity for repeated re-positioning of the holding means. Furthermore, it is necessary to clean the type each time proofs are made, for which operation it is necessary to use a stiff bristled brush which again tends to knock over the type in spite of the presence of the lead weights. Occasionally in these operations the type is so badly disarranged that it is necessary to reset a portion. Similar difficulties are encountered when blocks of set type are retained in storage for subsequent use, the practice being to store the galley and contained-type on shelves or the like. Because of the length of the galley and the weight of the type, it becomes difficult to handle the same without disturbing the type, particularly when the galley is moved lengthwise as by inserting and withdrawing the galley from the shelves. It is now customary practice to store the type without any supporting means on the end which aggravates the difficulties, and frequently the type at the end of the galley is so badly disturbed during its handling and storage that it is necessary to go back to the original copy in order to straighten it out. In order to minimize the difilculty, it is now common practice to leave a considerable space at the end of galleys necessary in the handling and storage of large amounts of set type.

An important object of the invention is the provision of a galley lock arranged to engage the inner surface of the side walls of a conventional galley in such manner as to firmly retain the type and yet be quickly and positively insertible into the galley, self-locking, and rapidly removable therefrom; which is symmetrical in shape; which accommodates itself to variations in the width of the galleys; which can be secured near the extreme ends of the galley; and which can be manufactured at low cost and has a long life.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a galley showing a block of type held in position by our improved galley lock;

Fig. 2 is an end view;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top view of a galley showing the lock in position;

Fig. 4 is a top view of the galley lock embodying our invention, and

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Directing attention first to Figure 1, the numeral 6 designates a conventional form of galley having a vertical end wall and 9, the side walls being channeled as shown at H and I2 in conformity with conventional practice, the channels being located adjacent the flat bottom l3 of the galley. The galley is adapted to receive a block of type M, in this instance the type consisting of a plurality of lines l5 of Linotype. It will be obvious, however, that the block of type may equally well consist in combinations of Linotype slugs and conventional type or Monotype, Linotype alone being shown in this instance because of the greater simplicity.

The galley lock of our invention comprises a flat plate designated generally by the numeral l6 preferably of metal and having a width slightly greater than the height of the walls 8 and 9 but less than the height of the type M, as best shown in Fig. 2. The plate I6 is of lesser length than the distance between the walls 8 and 9 so that in use the ends l1 and [8 thereof are spaced from the side walls of the galley a small distance. The plate G6 is sheared at spaced points on its upper and lower edges as shown at l9 and 2| to provide relatively long fingers 22 and 23 substantially midway between the ends of the plate l6, which fingers are bent backward and toward the longitudinal center line of the plate It so as to enclose and clamp into position a spring strip 24.

1 and side walls 8' The spring strip 24 is longer than the plate 16 and rests thereagainst in face to face contact, the fingers 22 and 23 engaging the spring strip substantially at its center, thereby providing end portions 25 and 26 projecting beyond the ends of the plate IS. The spring strip is made of relatively rigid but flexible spring stock so as to be readily flexed and yet have sufiicient strength to withstand hard usage and repeated flexing. Preferably, though not necessarily, the width of the strip 24 is materially less than the width of the plate I6 and advantageously aboutone-half the width thereof, the spring being spaced at equal distances from the upper and lower edges of the plate. The ends of the spring strip are cut at right angles to the edges thereof and the length of the strip is somewhat greater than the distance between the side walls 8 and 9 so that when the plate 16 is inserted into the position shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the ends of the'strip will abut against the inner surface of the side walls, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3. 4

In use, the lock is inserted in the galley by placing one end, as for example, the end 25 of the spring strip against a side of the galley, as for example, the side 8 at a point directly adjacent the end of the block of type. Thereupon the opposite end of the lock is rotated as in a clockwise direction facing Figure l, by placing the hand on the back of the look at a mid point. Upon such rotation, the opposite end 26 of the spring strip engages the inner surface of the side 8 and flexes outward as shown in Fig. 3 as the plate l6 approaches parallelism with the end of the block of type. When the plate It is brought into the position shown in Fig. 3 and the hand is removed from the lock, the end 26 of the spring strip is so frictionally engaged against the inner surface of the side wall 9 as to prevent return movement of the plate. It will be observed that the greater the weight of the type against the plate I 6, the greater is the tendency of the end 26 to cut into the metal of the side wall and thus prevent movement of the type. The lock is thus self-locking in the galley and is secured in place by a single movement of the operators hand. The lock is likewise removed in a single operation by inserting the thumb or the end of a second galley lock or other pry behind the end 26 of the spring strip in the space designated by the numeral 28, whereupon a slight rotation of the lever thus formed releases and removes the look from the galley.

It will be observed that the two ends of the device are identical, and consequently may be inserted into the galley either end first, and theree fore the operator does not have to shift the lock in his hand prior to inserting the same, regardless pf how the device may be picked up. Another feature of the invention lies in the fact that the galley may be filled with type to a point within close proximity to the end thereof, since the type will be held in position by the lock positioned in the end of the galley. It should furthermore be noted that only a relatively small space-Jess than 1"-is required for securing the lock in position. This means a substantial saving in a number of galleys required in a large printing establishment.

Another advantage of the invention lies in the fact that the lock may be inserted in galleys of a considerable variation in size due to the flexing of the strip spring. In the case of a badly obsolete galley, for instance, one considerably narrower than that shown in the drawing, the lock may be effectively used even though the plate I6 occupies a diagonal position therein when inserted to the full extent. However, even with standard sized galleys there is apt to be some variation in the distance between the walls 8 and 9 due to variations in manufacture and to bending and distortion of the side walls by rough usage. This is cared for by the varying amount of flexure in the spring 24. a

It will be seen that an important advantage of the invention is the fact that as soon as the required type is set and placed in the galley, a galley lock may be inserted therein to hold the same in position, the lock remaining in place during the making of the galley proofs and during the storage of the galley and contained type so that at all times the type is held firmly in proper position within the galley. This is rendered possible through the very low cost of the galley lock of this invention which permits the user to have a supply equal or substantially equal to the number of galleys so as to have the lock remain in position until the type is used or redistributed.

We claim: 1 V

1. An end lock for holding a block of type in position on a metal printers galley, comprising in combination a flat metal plate positioned on edge in said galley and extending transversely thereof, the overall length of the plate being substantially less than the distance between the side walls of the galley for free reception therebetween in abutting relationship with the t pe, a fiat strip spring extending longitudinally of said'platebeyond each end thereof and of greater length than the distance between said walls, and means'for securing said spring to said plate in face to face surface contact in the middle areas thereof on the side opposite said type to form identical end portions comprising integral portions of said plate formed around opposed edges of said spring to clamp the spring firmly to the plate, said spring being of such resiliency as to be flexed in either end portion by contact with a wall of the galley when the other end portion is seated against the opposite wall of the galley in abutting relationship with the adjacent end portion of the plate, with the plate bearing against a block of type and the lock is manually rotated 'thereabout to bring the plate in surface contact with the type, theend edges of the spring being sharp to bite into the surface of the galley wall under the pressure of the type to prevent sliding of the lock whereby said spring acts to wedge the plate firmly against the type.

2. An end lock for a printers galley comprising in combination a plate of metal of slightly greater width than the height of the galley walls and of substantially lesser length than the distance between said walls, a thin flat strip spring positioned in abutting face to face relationship with said plate at the mid points of the plate and strip, said strip being of a width in the region of one-half the width of said plate and being positioned substantially midway between the edges of the plate, and means for securing the plate-and strip rigidly together at said mid point comprising fingers integral with said plate secured transversely from the edges of the plate and formed around said strip, the strip being of greater length than the distance between said walls and of such resiliency as to be fiexed at one end by contact with said walls upon manual insertion of said plate between said walls and into surface contact with a block of type in the galley 'to wedge the plate into fixed position thereagainst.

DONALD MULCAY. WINFIELD G. COLVIN. 

